WILL “UNCLE JACK” RETURN?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18189, 23 June 1927, Page 4

WILL “UNCLE JACK” RETURN?

RADIO MATTERS ARE DISCUSSED, j P. AND T. SECRETARY MEETS AUCKLANDERS. j (Special to the “Star."’) AUCKLAND, June 23. Radio matters were again discussed lor three hours last night when the executive of the Auckland Listeners’ j League met Mr G. Maenamara. secrc- ■ tary of the P. and T. Department, who i had come to Auckland to confer with , the president, Mr A. C. Jacob, and j other members. They traversed much ground covered at a public meeting the previous night and stressed the fact that the broadcasting company treated ; the listeners almost with contempt and ! enumerated the many points of dissatisfaction that had led the Auckland and | other leagues to move for Government | control. Mr Maenamara referred to the establishment of the present company after the failure of a previous one, and he considered the sponsors had done a great service in coming forward with an offer to establish a company with £20,000 capital. It had gi*ven Dunedin a line service during the exhibition period, but such a service did not exist there to-day, since the people of the south had shown by their lack of support that they did not want it. Broadcasting as at present constituted had to face a big fire of destructive criticsm, and in connection witji the agitation for State control he reminded his hearers that the Government had given Mr A. R. Harris and Mr \Y. Goodfellow a five years’ agreement, and that it must stand by that so long as the other party fulfilled their obligations. The new agreement was exactly the same as the old one, except-that the period was extended for a year and five months in consideration of the establishment of a big station at Wellington. There were perhaps loopholes but the Postmaster-General had power to query any expenditure. A 5 kilowatt station at Wellington was being erected at the request of the Government. It would be of great service in a national emergency and would be used for advertising New Zealand by the Publicity Department. The Government had advanced the Broadcasting Company £15,000 at 6 per cent, repayable in three and a half to five years, so that high power might be obtainable. As 2YA would broadcast for

longer hours daily than the other stations, it would require double the staff and this involved additional expense. The company had raised nearly £50,000 capital and his Department considered this money wisely spent. In regard to the benefit that a privately interested firm might receive from carrying out the work of erection, this question could safely be left to the Government auditors. He could not understand the listeners’ clamour for a balance-sheet. They had the assurance

of the Minister that everything was in order. The Auckland and Christchurch plants had cost about £BSOO each, the balance of capital being expended on Wellington. There were big charges for interest and depreciation, which the company was setting down at slightly less than the Department would consider fair, and all plant was provided out of capital. So far as provision for talent was concerned, this was the last and least important of all the items the company had to consider. Last March the company had a credit balance of £l3B. though some months previously they were over £IOOO behind. Now, with over 20,000 listeners (steadily increasing), the finances were on a firm basis and the company had undertaken in a fortnight’s time to greatly improve their programmes.

Altogether Mr Maenamara placed the company’s position very favourably before the conference, but members, reciting examples of promises unfulfilled in the past, expressed the opini'on that the present ones had resulted from an agitation that had sprung up so strongly in recent weeks.

The question of Mr Prentice’s resignation was raised, and it was asked if the Department could not use its influence to have him retained.

Mr Maenamara replied that the Department could not dictate whom the company was to employ. If broadcasting at Auckland was deteriorating in consequence of Mr Prentice’s retirement, representations would be made to the company to remedy the defect.